Following the success of India's Moon landing mission with Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Aditya-L1 to study the Sun on September 2, 2023. As the Aditya-L1 started its journey, ISRO Chief S. Somnath was diagnosed with cancer. Recently, in an interview with Tarmak Media House, Somanth confirmed that an unusual growth was identified in his stomach during a routine scan.
The ISRO chief said he was facing health concerns even during the Chandrayaan-3 mission launch but hadn’t got to the bottom of the matter.
However, on September 2, 2023, Somnath underwent a routine scan which revealed the growth. After additional scans in Chennai, it was confirmed that the ISRO chief was dealing with cancer, following which he underwent surgery and chemotherapy.
The diagnosis understandably came as a shock for him and his family and colleagues. He said they have been by his side throughout this challenging period. Somnath said, "Now I see cancer and its treatment as a solution," the pragmatic scientist in him quickly coming to terms with the health blip. "I harboured uncertainty about a complete cure while undergoing the process," he added.
Reportedly, it took the ISRO chief only four days to resume his duties. He started working on the fifth day and did not experience any pain. "I will be undergoing regular checkups and scans. But, now I am completely cured, and have resumed my duties," Somnath revealed.
Meanwhile, Aditya-L1 was launched atop PSLV-C57 in September 2023 for its journey to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1. It was successfully placed in the intended orbit on January 6 after four months of journey in space.
